Hole detector for circular knitting machines of the rib type



June 30, 1953 M, ANTONEVICH 2,643,534

} HOLE DETECTOR FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES OF THE RIB TYPE Filed May 26, 1952 6 /6 3 :2 y r182 Hg. 2. 7 55 llllllllllllll?!llllllllllll/% /42 I I mmmunm l 25 =2 ,6 4/

Patented June 30, 1953 HOLE DETECTOR FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES OF THE RIB TYPE Michael Antonevich, New Brunswick, N. J., asslgnor to The Crawford Manufacturing Company, Inc., New. Brunswick, N. J a corporation of New'Jersey Application May 26, 1952, Serial No. 289,974

1 Claim. (Cl. 66-166) This invention relates to a hole detector for rib knitting machines and a principal object of the invention is to provide an improved holedetector mechanism located below the dial in the area embraced by the tubular knitted fabric, and operatively connected with stop motion actuating devices located externally of the fabric tube and usually remote from the latter.

It has been proposed to mount hole detector devices within the tubular knitted web formed on a circular knitting machine for mechanical operation through the web of trip devices located outside of and in immediate proximity thereto. The present invention contemplates a hole detector which is operatively connected to the stop mechanism in a manner freeing the knitted web of any involvement in the trippingoperation.

The invention may be more readily understood by reference to the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a rib knitting machine provided with a hole detector device made in accordancewith the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2,

Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional elevational view illustrating details of the detecfor device; and,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the detector mechanism illustrated in Figure 3.

With reference particularly to Figure l. of the drawings, is the dial plate or dial of a conventional rib knitting machine, this plate being attached at the lower end of the dial post 2., 3 is the dial cam plate which is secured to the spindle 4 which is hollow for accommodation of the post 2. In accordance with the present inventiomthe post 2 is also hollow ,and receives a hollow shaft 5, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. r I

6 is the needle cylinder positioned in conventional manner with respect to the dial the cylinder being supported upon the ring 1. Operatively associated with the cylinder 8 in the usual manneris the cam 'BWhich is carried by the cam ring 9. Insofar as described and with the exception of the hollow shaft 5, the mechanism is conventional. In the present instance the dial and cylinder 6 are stationary and the needles are actuated by rotation of the associated dial and cylinder cams. Also, in accordance with the invention, the shaft 5 is connected for rotation with the spindle 4 or other suitable rotary part. It should be noted, however, that the invention is not limited in its applications to machines of this type, and is applicable also to machines wherein the dial and cylinder revolve. In this latter case, wherein the knitted tubular web also revolves, the shaft 5 will remain stationary as will hereinafter appear.

In accordance with the present invention, a ring H is attached to the lower end of the shaft 5, the external diameter of this ring being approximately the same as the inner diameter of the cylinder 6. The ring thereby functions as a spreader for the tubular knitted fabric which is indicated by the reference numeral l2 and which is drawn downwardly in conventional manner from the knitting needles of the dial and cylinder by draw rolls I3. The ring I I constitutes a support for a hole detector device which is indicated generally by the reference numeral I. As illustrated in Figures 2, 3, and 4, this device comprises a relatively fixed rail or base I5 which is secured by screws I6 and IT to the ring I Slidably mounted in the rail I5 is a carriage member 8 upon which a turret member I9 is pivotally supported. A spring 2| secured to the rear end of the carriage l8 and anchored to the ring exerts a resilient pull tending to draw the carriage rearwardly in the rail I5 or the right as viewed in Figures 2 and 3. In normal operation, the carriage |8 will be held in advanced operative position against the pull of the spring 2| by means of a hooked element 22 which is pivotally attached to the turret IQ for detachable interlocking engagement with a pin 23 on the ring I A spring 24 is attached at one end to the hooked member 22 and at the other end to the body of the turret l9 and exerts a resilient pull tending to hold the hooked element 22 in the operative pin-engaging position. Pivotal movement of the turret I9 in clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2 will carry the hooked element free of the pin 23 thereby releasing the carriage l8 and permitting the spring 2| to draw it rearwardly into a retracted position. 7

The turret I9 carries a post 25 in which are mounted a plurality of feelers designated generally by the reference numeral 26. Each'of these feelers is supported for longitudinal movement within a cylindrical casing 21 which casing is fixed in the post 25. At the rear of each of the casings 21 is a spring 28 which exerts'resillent pressure tending to retain the feeler 26 in the knitted tubular fabric l2 and that they will be held resiliently against the fabric by the springs 28. If the end of any one of the feelers meets a hole in the fabric, the feeler will be advanced into the hole by action of the associated spring 28 and the relative movement between thetubular fabric and the ring II will displace the feeler laterally around the pivotal axis of the turret IS on the carriage [8, so that the feeler, and in fact the entire turret, will assume a position corresponding to that shown in broken lines in Figure 2. Such pivotal movement of the turret, will as previously stated, have the effect of, releasing the hook element 22 from theretaining pin- 23' and will permit the spring 2| to'retract' the carriage whereby withdrawing the feelers 26 from the fabric. Retraction of the feelersfrom the fabric will then permit a spring 30 associated with turret l9 to return the turret to the normal position wherein the hook element 22 may again engage the pin 23 when the carriage is advanced-to the operative position. v

The detector device includes an electric switch which comprises, in the present instance,a contact element 3| mounted in the wall of a small casing 32 secured to the underside of the ring H by the screw l7 and by a second screw 33. This contact element 3| is insulated from the wall of the casing 32 by'a suitable insulating bushing 34. A bronze leaf spring 35 is secured at one end to the underside of the ring I within the casing 32 and above the contact element 3| and this spring supports a button 36 which is slidably mounted in the ring The upper end of this button 33 underlies the carriage I8 and is free'when the carriage is in the advanced or operative position. In the retracted position of the carriage the upper end of the button 36 will be engaged by a leaf spring 31 which is secured to the underside of the carriage with its free end depending below the level of the top of the button 36. As the carriage moves rearwardly towards its retracted position, the depending end of the spring 31 will engage the top of the button 36 and, since the spring 31 is stiffer than the spring 35, the button 36 will be forced downwardly displacing the spring 35 into contact with the upper end of the element 3|. The ring II to which the spring 35 is attached being grounded and the contact element 3| being insulated from the ring, this engagement of the contact element and spring 35 will close a circuit to actuate a suitable stop motion and to interrupt the operation of the machine.

As previously set forth the shaft 5' is hollow, so that it may function as a conduit for a wire 38 which is connected. at one end to the contact element 3|, this wire being insulated inihat portion which passes throughthe conduit 5. This permits extension of the wire 38 through the dial mechanism previously described. and connection of the detector device to the electricalactuator 39 of the stop motion 40.

The carriage is connected to one end. of a rod 4| slidably supported on the ring II. This rod 6 carries at its outer end a cam-like head 42, and

4 the rod is of such length that when the carriage |8 is in the advanced position, the head 42 will be slightly removed from the inner surface of the tubular fabric l2. When the carriage I8 is retracted, however, the cam-like head 42 will press the tubular fabric outwardly in a localized area as best shown in Figure 2, so that the head is accessible for manually exerted pressure to force the rod inwardy and to advance the carriage l8 to the operative position. In this ad- Vance movement the curved outer extremity 43 of the hook element 22 will engage the pin 23, and since this element is free to turn about the pivot 44 against the pull of the spring 24, the hook will be displaced to an extent permitting it to pass the pin 23 for subsequent interlocked engagement .withthe pin by action of the spring 24.

I claim:

In a circular knitting machine of the type having a needle cylinder, a dial plate at one end of said cylinder, and needles on said cylinder and plate coactive with each other to form the tubular web, a hollow post supporting said dial plate and affording a passage through the latter, a hole detector assembly positioned at one side of the dial plate in the area embraced by said tubular knitted Web, said detector assembly including a carriage movable between advanced and retracted positions relative to the inner surface of the tubular web, a carriage-retracting spring, releasable means for holding the carriage in the advanced position against the action of said spring, means for automatically engaging the holding means to render it operative when the carriage is moved to the advanced position, a hole detector element mounted on the carriage, resilient means operative only when the carriage is in the advanced position to hold the said element in contact with the inner surface of the web, means responsive to engagement of said element in a hole in said web for releasing said holding means to permit the carriage to move to the retracted position, an electric switch, and means for operatively connecting the switch with the carriageso that retraction of the latter is accompanied by an actuation of the switch, electrically actuated means located externally of the tubular web for interrupting the knitting operation, an electric conductor operatively connecting the said interrupting means with the switch, a hollow shaft extending through said post and constituting a support for the said assembly and a conduit for the said conductor, and a resetting member attached to the carriage and accessible through the web by inward. displacement of the latter to move the carriage manually to the advanced position.

MICHAEL ANTONEVICH.

Number Name Date 1,471,802 Niermeyer Oct. 23, 1923 2,357,712 Vossen et a1. Sept. 5, 1944 

